Update on INCA Priorities and Invasive Species Council Funding

Quick update as to the status of and action needed for our 5 priorities for the legislative session:

1) The Indiana Heritage Trust received $97,000 in the house budget bill, and the Senate will begin debating the budget next week. INCA’s ask was $2 million/year.

a. ACTION NEEDED: Please contact your Senator and ask them to talk to Senator Kenley and members of Senate Appropriations(unless they are on the committee). ASK: $2 million/year for IHT!

2) Clean Water Indiana received $1 million/year in general fund appropriations in the house budget bill and the Senate will begin debating the budget next week. INCA’s ask was $1 million/year in general fund, plus $300,000/year for the division.

a. ACTION NEEDED: Thank House members and please contact your Senator and ask them to talk to Senator Kenley and members of Senate Appropriations. ASK: $1 million/year in general fund appropriations for CWI, plus $300,000 in general fund appropriations for the Division of Soil Conservation.

3) The phosphorous education bill was not given a committee hearing. )=

a. NO action needed, unless you want to thank the bill authors.

4) The bill on canned hunting was tabled. (=

a. NO action needed.

5) The INCA-supported bill for improving public transit was passed out of committee, and will be on 3rd reading in the House on Monday. (=

a. ACTION: Contact your house member to voice your support for HB 1011.

ONE OTHER ACTION ITEM:

The Invasive Species Council (ISC) very critically needs to secure the funds to hire an Executive Director position which would be housed through Purdue University. Purdue is requesting a $3 million research appropriation and has included $100,000 in that request to fund this Ex. Director position, for a total request of $3.1 million.

INPAWS members, we urge you to ask your Senator to contact Senator Kenley and other members of the Senate Appropriations Committee to support the $3.1 million for Purdue to house the Executive Director position. The ISC has been a past priority of INCA’s.